UK's 20 poshest villages of 2023 with surprising number one - see full list

11 January 2023 , 12:06

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Castle Combe in Wiltshire has been ranked number seven on the list (Image: Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The UK's 20 poshest villages for 2023 have been revealed - and number one may come as a surprise.

The Times has revealed their swankiest locations in Britain, with many being places where you might spot the other half living it up in a fancy pub or a members only farmhouse.

With many of the listed villages boasting a historic pub with a Michelin star or a rock star that lives in a manor house nearby, it is no doubt that the top 20 are home to some of the UK's most beautiful scenery and green walks.

From the picturesque Cotswold village of Castle Combe, to what is sometimes called the Welsh Riviera, here are the British villages named the poshest in the land.

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Wales Coast Path on the Llyn peninsula has proved to be one of the most popular tourist destinations in the whole of Wales (Getty Images)

In third place sits the traditional Sussex village of Forest Row, near Crawley, East Sussex. Just 30 miles south of London, the village has been placed so far up the list for having the five-star Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club to recuperate.

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Surprisingly, Castle Combe, near Chippenham, in Wiltshire, is seventh on the list.

Despite the picturesque Cotswold village attracting thousands of visitors each year and frequently being voted Britain’s prettiest village, it sits one below Church with Chapel Brampton, Northamptonshire.

UK's 20 poshest villages of 2023 with surprising number one - see full list

The picturesque Cotswold village of Castle Combe, England, has made the list (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Up in Scotland, Braemar in Aberdeenshire takes eight spot as the 'bizziest village'. The Highlands village has been the destination to name-drop ever since 2019 following the take-over of the Fife Arms pub.

The glamorous hotel and restaurant features more than 16,000 artworks by artists like Lucian Freud, Picasso, Louise Bourgeois and, King Charles.

And the village best known for having Soho Farmhouse, Great Tew, near Banbury, Oxfordshire has made the list - at number 13. Well known for having David and Victoria Beckham as residents of the Soho Farmhouse, the area makes for the perfect getaway weekend for many Londoners.

In 17th place is St Mawes, Roseland Peninsula, Cornwall. The vibe of the village has been described as "upmarket Mediterranean" and has been likened to St Tropez or the Amalfi coast. Despite its clear blue waters and mild microclimate, it has only received a four out of five stars posh rating.

The village of St Mawes on the end of the Roseland Peninsula (Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

The villages in second and first place may come as a surprise to many, especially as one village has UNESCO world heritage status and the other funnelled in millions for the refurbishment of their beloved pub.

In second place is Saltaire near Bradford, West Yorkshire. The Victorian “model” village of Saltaire has UNESCO world heritage status, and is even home to a David Hockney collection at the grade II* listed Salts Mill.

Topping all of the villages in the UK is Hodnet in Shropshire, West Midlands.

Boasting a five out of five star posh rating, the local village pub had a whopping £2 million refurb. Home to a number of pubs including the Bear Inn, which is now an acclaimed gastropub and boutique hotel, the upper-class credentials of the venue have seen Hodnet grab first prize.